This application claims the priority of German patent document 197 12 714.2 filed Mar. 26, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to an insert for a collector profile of a condenser of an air conditioner of a motor vehicle with a dryer cartridge, said cartridge being insertable into the collector profile axially from one end, relative to a lengthwise axis of the collector profile, said cartridge further being positionable in a flow segment of the collector profile, as well as a sealing lid to close off one end of the collector profile.
A collector profile of a condenser of an air conditioner of a motor vehicle is known from German patent document DE 44 21 834 A1, said profile being closed off at a lower end by means of a bottom. An inlet opening as well as a return opening for the coolant, used in the condenser to be dried, is provided in a flow segment of the collector profile associated with the lower end. A dryer cartridge is also located in this lower portion, said cartridge forcibly guiding the coolant from the inlet opening through the dryer cartridge and to the return opening by means of an annular flange. The dryer cartridge is secured in the lower section of the collector profile by a spacing rod engaging the dryer cartridge, said rod extending through the collector profile up to an upper end of the collector profile and secured axially there by means of a sealing lid. The sealing lid can be screwed to this upper end of the collector profile by means of matching threads on the sealing lid and on the upper end of the collector profile, thus sealing off the interior of the collector profile.
A goal of the invention is to provide an insert of the type generally described above having a dryer cartridge which can be handled and exchanged by simplified means.
This and other goals have been achieved by providing an insert for a collector profile for a condenser of a motor vehicle air conditioner, comprising: a dryer cartridge which is insertable axially into the collector profile from one end, relative to a lengthwise axis of the collector profile, to be positioned in a flow segment at a first end of the collector profile; a sealing lid for sealing one end of the collector profile, said sealing lid being mountable on said first end of the collector profile; and a releasable connection between said dryer cartridge and said sealing lid.
This and other goals have been achieved by providing an insert for a collector profile for a condenser of a motor vehicle air conditioner, comprising: a dryer cartridge which is insertable into the collector profile through an insertion opening; a sealing lid to close said insertion opening, wherein one of the dryer cartridge and the sealing lid comprises at least one male latching element and the other of the dryer cartridge and the sealing lid comprises at least one female latching element, said at least one male latching element being releasably engagable with said at least one female latching element.
According to the invention, the dryer cartridge can be secured to the sealing lid by means of releasable connecting means, and the sealing lid can be placed on the end that faces the flow segment of the collector profile. Accordingly, the dryer cartridge can be easily replaced from the end of the collector profile that faces the flow segment. This end is the lower end in a condenser that is mounted vertically and therefore has a vertically positioned collector profile, so that the dryer cartridge can simply be replaced from below.
Furthermore, the path to be traveled during insertion and removal is shorter, and therefore installation and removal take place more rapidly, so that replacement of the dryer cartridge is considerably simplified. With operation of the sealing lid and dryer cartridge from below, improved access is provided when mounting the cartridge and removing it directly on the motor vehicle. Since the dryer cartridge is secured directly to the sealing lid, no additional spacing rod is required. The fact that the spacing rod is no longer required creates a larger storage volume in the collector profile that is designed as a container, so that a filling valve, pressure sensor, or even a sight glass can be mounted. Since the dryer cartridge is secured releasably to the sealing lid, the dryer cartridge can simply be replaced when servicing is required without the sealing lid having to be replaced as well. Therefore, the sealing lid can be reused.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the releasable connecting means comprise latching elements provided on the dryer cartridge or on the sealing lid, and matching latching locations are provided, said locations being associated with the sealing lid or the dryer cartridge and receiving the latching elements. The formwise latching connection thus created allows especially simple installation and removal of the dryer cartridge at the sealing lid. If both the dryer cartridge and the sealing lid are designed as plastic parts, the latching elements and latching locations can be molded integrally in simple fashion.
In another embodiment of the invention, the side of the dryer cartridge that is opposite the releasable connecting means is provided with a receptacle to secure one end of the spacer supporting the collector profile, said end being opposite the flow segment. As a result, the dryer cartridges can also be used alternatively in known systems, in which they are inserted from above into the collector profile.
In another embodiment of the invention, the end of the collector profile that is opposite the flow segment is made identical to the end facing the flow segment in such fashion that the sealing lid can be secured at either end. As a result, the sealing lid can be employed for both a design with a spacing rod and a design without a spacing rod. This creates a modular design for the sealing lid, and also a modular design for the dryer cartridge in conjunction with the embodiments described above.
In another embodiment of the invention, the dryer cartridge is provided with an annular flange projecting radially outward for separating an inflow area and a return area in the flow segment of the collector profile, and the collector profile has an annular projection for axial support of the annular flange when the dryer cartridge is in the mounted position. In addition to the radial seal already known from the prior art, the annular flange thus is provided with an axial seal by virtue of its axial support on the annular projection. This produces an improved sealing effect between the inlet and return areas for the coolant.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.